Pick of the Past: Last days of the market in 1973

With council, police and magistrates' courts all moving from the east side of the town centre to the west in the early 1970s, you might have thought moving Reading Market would be one of the easier relocations.

But this one encountered fierce opposition, not least because there was no new site to go to. Hosier Street was not available in 1973 and the council was running a covered market in Great Knollys Street.

Market Place traders argued that it had seen a drop in trade and closure of the open market was a way to boost it. Their market, they said, had been there for centuries and many of them had traded there for decades.

Over 12,000 signed a petition but won only a reprieve until February 10. Even then there was a threat to stage the market anyway but the protests were in vain and the market in Great Knollys Street won out.

Around the same time Market Place itself was changing with demolition of buildings on the corner with The Forbury which were eventually replaced with shops and offices at 37 - 42 Market Place.

You can also see the market as it looked in 1960, thanks to a clip from a video made available to us by Michael Darlow and Tony Searle. They hope to have their film All These People put onto DVD.